


Clutch

by Bubonicc



Series: Merformers [5]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Fingering, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Merformers, Oviposition, lots of fluids, winking clits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 14:24:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10641699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubonicc/pseuds/Bubonicc
Summary: When it is time to nest, it is not always easy for every mer.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Easter

It wasn’t unusual for Kup’s mood to tank during the end of his heat cycle. Despite having lived a long life with countless mates and countless heats, the result had always been the same. At the end of every season his body would swell whether he had mated or not in preparation for the eggs forming inside of his belly. This was normal for mers and just a way of life, but for Kup it was an emotional burden.

At what point exactly Kup had finally figured out he was an infertile mer, Ratchet would never know, but each season Kup’s mood would tank when it came time to lay. Having to come to terms with never being able to raise a clutch of his own wasn’t the only thing Kup had to come to terms with as an infertile mer, but also the fact that to others like him he was undesirable. What purpose did he serve if he could not procreate and contribute? Unlike humans, mers are still locked into basic instincts that rule them and, with no purpose other than contributing to the ecosystem, he was useless.

That was what he had first thought in his youth, at least. After failing to hatch a clutch and nail down a life mate, he had all but given up- at least, until a little red pup had crossed his path. Abandoned and ill, Kup had taken it in, and from there had started his collection of misfits. A proper little family that had grown throughout the years. Despite this, there was still that painful reminder every season.

After vanishing for most of the day to lay his eggs in secret and hide them out of shame, Kup would always come scooting back to the beach house to cuddle his adoptive pups to the moon and back. Once done making sure each pup knew they were loved, Kup would make his way around the house looking for Ratchet. Needing some love and affection of his own, he would make soft noises of distress if Ratchet wasn’t in the immediate area. Though often found in the kitchen, Ratchet was always ready to provide his sad mer with whatever he had needed. Often it was just a lot of head petting, cuddles, and a copious number of kisses to each cheek.

During seasons Kup had laid three or four eggs, he would be exceptionally bad. Knowing _none_ of them would hatch always hurt him more than seeing one or two eggs. Those nights often left Kup blubbering, needing to lay with his head on Ratchet’s chest while the good doctor strokes the back of his head. By this point, Ratchet had been aware of Kup’s infertility, but had been unsure of how to help him deal with it other than providing the extra attention after the nights of lying due to Kup refusing to let Ratchet follow him to the areas he had laid in. Ratchet had always assumed it was because Kup had been ashamed, but regardless, Ratchet kept trying.

“Kup,” Ratchet spoke softly as he ran his hand along Kup’s chest, “you know you don’t have to keep doing this alone anymore, right?” He’d looked down to where Kup was resting his head on his shoulder. He had been avoiding Ratchet’s gaze, lazily playing with the loose buttons on his shirt.

After having spent years with Kup and the pups, Ratchet had grown rather adept in understanding Kup’s body language, especially around his heat cycle and his laying cycle. Already his body had started to inflate, and already his genital slit was showing clear signs of swelling. In a matter of days Kup would lay, but when exactly Ratchet was still unable to pinpoint.

“Kup,” Reaching up and taking the hand Kup was using to fiddle with his buttons into his own, Ratchet squeezed the webbed fingers, “look at me.” He watched the mer’s flat nostrils flare, and his eyes dart further down, trying to avoid eye contact at all costs.

“I-” Kup began but quickly trailed off.

With his free hand, Ratchet grabbed Kup’s chin and gently coaxed him to look up. Expecting to see a disapproving look, Kup was instead met with a loving kiss just above the flat of his nose. Another quickly followed between his eyes, and then another on the jagged edge of his cheek.

“Kup… doesn’t want to disappoint you.”

“Kup,” Ratchet watched the mer’s lower lip quiver, “you could never disappoint me.” Kissing the corner of his distraught mer’s mouth, Ratchet gave him a soft smile. “I love you.” Pressing his forehead against Kup’s, Ratchet kisses the flat of his nose over and over. “Nothing will change that.”

Taking in a deep breath and holding it inside of his chest for a few seconds, Kup let out a long sigh. For a while Kup was quiet, his eyes focused on the long orange and gray strands of hair that fell around Ratchet’s neck. With his free hand, he played with the ends, rolling the hairs between the tips of his fingers before finally looking up at Ratchet.

“Okay-” Taking Ratchet’s hand that he had been squeezing and bringing it to his mouth, Kup kissed faintly at the dry knuckles.

“Okay?” Ratchet watched him nuzzle the top of his palm before repeating himself.

“Kup will… take Ratchet to nesting place… and lay.” With his free hand, Kup patted his lower belly which had swelled outwards just enough to present a slight bulge. It was subtle enough that any person who didn’t know a thing about mers might just categorize Kup as being a chubby fish. “Soon, eggs will come.” At best Kup was due in at least a week just from what Ratchet could observe from past experiences. Now it was just a matter of waiting for Kup to be ready.

Placing one last kiss upon Kup’s forehead, Ratchet allowed the two of them to sink back into the bed. Immediately Kup nestled himself against Ratchet’s side, his head resting on Ratchet’s chest while the good doctor lightly stroked at the back of his neck.

 

* * *

 

The wait for the eggs to finally arrive hadn’t lasted more than two days before Kup had finally started to show signs of discomfort. Discomfort he had been so used to hiding from Ratchet, but now it was all too visible.

Kup would pace, if not in the hall on the slick hardwood floor, then outside in the sand. He would growl at himself and hiss each time his genital slit would ache and contract, and finally when two days had passed and Kup had seemed to reach the peak of his irritability, it was time.

Ratchet had been in the kitchen when Kup had finally come scooting in. With his back to the mer he had occupied himself with washing the few dishes he seemed to accumulate. As he worked and dried each plate with a dishrag he hummed, not noticing Kup just yet.

"Time-" Sounding a bit out of breath, Kup pulled himself across the floor until he was directly behind Ratchet. "It's time." Reaching up and tugging at a part of Ratchet's shirt a few times, Kup sat back and waited for Ratchet to acknowledge him.   

Setting the lash down in the dish drain, Ratchet wiped down his hands with the dish cloth and turned to face Kup. The mer's cheeks were a slight pink with fever, normal in this case. His genital slit was glossy and damp, swollen to twice its usual size, also normal. The folds parted ever so slightly with each light contraction, making the juicy inside slightly visible to Ratchet.

"Are you ready to go, then?" Kneeling down and taking Kup's jagged cheeks into his hands, Ratchet kissed the center of his forehead.

Reaching up and holding Ratchet's hands firmly against his cheeks, Kup nodded. He leaned into Ratchet in hopes of getting one more kiss before making the long trek along the beach, and he did, and then a third.

"Alright, come on then." Patting the top of Kup's head as he stood up, Ratchet gave him a soft smile. "I'll get the door for you." Heading out into the main living area, Ratchet opened the front door and waited for Kup to come sliding on through.

The trek was slow, and it should have been expected with Kup in the condition he was. Bloated and out of the water, it took him a lot longer than usual to move across the sand despite it being soft enough to slide right through. Every few minutes he had to stop and catch his breath, his panting become rather loud and snorty. It was a wonder that he had managed to give Ratchet the slip each season when it took him this long just to get half way across the beach, but then again Kup was oddly determined when he set his mind to something.

Patiently, Ratchet would wait by his side every time he had to stop, often placing his hand on Kup's shoulder to rub soothingly back and forth.

"Take your time." Despite the frequent pausing, they did make quite a bit of ground in only twenty minutes. They had walked the length of the beach Ratchet had never explored, or needed to explore. With the town and his home in the other direction, the upcoming part of the beach they were reaching was considered undesirable to humans. The sands were littered with rocks too big to move, taking up most of the space that could be used to bask in the sun, though it did seem like a proper nesting ground for mers. Secluded, undisturbed by humans, somewhat shielded by the rocks, it was a good enough spot as any.

The further down the beach they walked the more obvious area of disturbed sand started to stand out. At first Ratchet hadn't thought anything of the few dark patches he had seen until they started to become more frequent. As if the spot had been dug up and filled it, Ratchet's suspicions had been confirmed when he passed one up close. Claw marks were still visible in the sand and vague handprints were still vaguely imprinted.

It was impossible to tell how long Kup had picked this spot in particular to lay, but judging from the half dozen dark spot Ratchet could still see, he had been here a while.

A loud grunt caught Ratchet's attention and he looked up to see Kup had managed to scoot a few feet ahead of him. He had stopped and placed his palms down against an undisturbed part of the sand, digging his claws into it.

"Is this where you want to start?"

Without looking at Ratchet and digging his fingers deeper into the sand, Kup nodded. Taking a deep breath, he started to dig, scooping big handfuls of sand and setting them down to the right. It didn't take him more than a minute to excavate a hole about a foot and a half wide and deep.

"Eggs would be safe here." Kup mumbled as he finished off the hole. "Sun would keep them warm." Leaning back and wilting into himself, Kup sighed and glanced over his shoulder to see Ratchet sitting himself in the sand just behind him. He patted his chest and coaxed Kup with his hands to lean back against him, offering a comfy spot to rest.

"Come on," Ratchet smiled, again motioning with his hands for Kup to rest against him. How many times had Kup come here to just lay in the sand all by himself? He had nobody to hold him then, but he certainly did now, "I'm here now." That seemed to get Kup moving.

Scooting up between Ratchet's legs and placing his head on a shoulder that just seemed made for him at this point, Kup purred and licked at Ratchet's neck. Below, he angled his hips towards the hole, his genital slit parting slightly to ooze a thick creamy fluid. It wouldn't be long now.

"This is a pretty peaceful spot." Watching as the sun started to sink past the horizon, Ratchet took in a deep breath of the cool summer air. Despite the area being littered with rocks, it was oddly beautiful. The sun's light gave both the sand and the ocean a faint pink glow, and the subtle noise of the waves crashing along the sand was oddly calming. No wonder Kup chose this spot.

"Ngn~" Tail curling as another thick stream of fluid gushed from his genital slit, Kup hissed into Ratchet's neck. His slit opened a bit wider than before, the plush pink insides very visible now.

"Shh, easy," Ratchet cooed as he ran a hand down along Kup's chest, rubbing between chubby pectoral muscles, "easy." Despite his company it was clear Kup was still distressed about the situation. His face was grim and each contraction seemed to make him more and more miserable. He frowned and whimpered, tucking his face further into Ratchet's neck until he felt the medic's hand move even lower.

Rubbing the swell of Kup's belly, Ratchet pressed into one side lightly with three fingers. Soft but firm the harder he pressed until finally he felt the odd lumps on the inside. Two, maybe three eggs were in there, and as he prodded he felt them shift and again Kup huffed in pain.

Sliding his hand down even further, Ratchet pressed two fingers against the swollen folds of Kup's genital slit. Upon contact, Kup's tail flapped harshly against the sand and he trembled against the good doctor. Grabbing at the front of Ratchet's button down, Kup started to pant.

Despite his genital slit being hot and engorged, it was terribly sensitive and the slightest touch seemed to jolt him with a bit of pleasure. Good.

"Does that hurt?" Ratchet asked as he did nothing more than run the tips of his fingers up and down the sticky folds. When he reached the bottom he traced up the seam, pausing when the lips parted and a thick spurt of fluid squirted against his fingers. Thick and sticky, it was some sort of natural lubricant his body was crafting to help guide the eggs out.

"N-No." Kup's warm breath split over Ratchet's neck as he began to pant a bit harder. His hips tilted upwards a bit and away from the hole, wanting Ratchet's attention.

When the slit parted again Ratchet took the opportunity to slide two fingers into the sticky heat. Right away he was met with the slit clamping down around his digit and more fluid spurt out and around his knuckles.

"Mhm~!" Tail curling a Ratchet pushed his fingers to the very last knuckle, Kup looked down to watch. His face flushed immediately and he looked away, hiding his face in Ratchet's neck and instead just licking him over and over. His tongue only faltered when Ratchet curled his fingers, and he squealed into the doctor's neck instead. It hadn't taken more than two or three thrusts of his wrists before his shaft started to peep out from its sheath.

"That's it, good-" Ratchet purred, spreading his fingers apart to get a good look at the inside of Kup's slit. Nice and pink, much softer than usual but Ratchet had attributed to the fact Kup's body had just adjusted to delivering eggs. "Good." Sliding his fingers from the sloppy slit, Ratchet put his attention on Kup's shaft.

                   Having slid about halfway from its sheath, it twitched and had drooled a bit of prefluid over his belly. The moment Ratchet grasped it and started to lazily stroke, Kup   
choked out a gasp.

"You're adorable." Ratchet cooed, kissing the slight bump that made up Kup's nose.  
A soft wheezy laugh followed as Kup accepted the affection, but the smile on  
his face hadn't lasted long. A particularly painful contraction jolted him,  
making him snarl and tilt his hips back down towards his hole.

"Ngn!~"  
The foggy fluid that had spurt out early was discolored now, blood accompanying  
it as the first egg started to move down his canal.

“Lay down a bit,” As much as he Knew Kup would want to stay pressed against him, the odd angle it left his waist wouldn’t help his laying situation, “that’s it, good.” Helping Kup shimmy down until his head was in the good doctor’s lap, Ratchet took one of his webbed hands into his own. Giving it a faint squeeze, he nodded to Kup that it was okay to start.

“E-eggs coming,” Burying his face into Ratchet’s groin, Kup’s lower half arched a bit as he gave a hardy push. Each push was accompanied by a loud grunt and his genital slit flaring open. Wider and wider it grew each time until finally there was the slight indication that an egg had finally reached the end.

“Almost there.” Sliding his hands over Kup’s toned shoulders, Ratchet watched as Kup’s genital swelled outwards and opened wide. The round end of an egg pushed out, and with a bit of wiggling to get the main girth of the egg free, it plopped out into the hole.

With the release of pressure, Kup sag in Ratchet’s lap and huffed. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Kup squeezed and kissed at Ratchet’s hand. Pressing the doctor’s knuckles against the flat of his nose, he took in a shaky breath and started again.

The second egg came a bit quicker, the first having paved the way, but it was met with resistance the moment it reached the opening of Kup’s slit. There it had been the most painful, having to breach the tight ring, Kup always flapped his fins and honked in protest until finally it started to pop free.

Slit spread wide and beat red with irritation, the egg plopped out to clack against the second in the hole, and again Kup sagged. This time he rested a little longer, the last egg still making its way down on its own.

“ _Huh…huff_ …-” He could feel gentle fingers tracing up his shoulder places and around the fins lining his back. They twirled in soothing circles, then rubbed into the tense muscle, coaxing it to relax. “Mhm~” Kneading into the muscle a little more, Ratchet slid his hands up to rub at Kup’s shoulders and neck. Careful not to poke into his gills, Ratchet worked around them, eventually rubbing under Kup’s chin and along his temple.

“Almost done.” Kup’s slit had one again started to wink, the last egg finally pushing into the end of the canal. Inflating the end of Kup’s slit, the egg presented itself slowly.

Squeezing his eyes shut and tensing harshly in Ratchet’s lap, the final egg popped free without any trouble. Thick and sticky strands of fluid accompanied it as it fell into the hole with the others.

Finally allowing himself to wilt completely into Ratchet’s groin, Kup seemed to go limp. His flapping fins settled and his curled tail relaxed, leaving him to let out a huffy sigh. His nostrils suddenly flared and he closed his eyes, face suddenly scrunching up.

“Kup,” The mers face only seemed to scrunch up harder as he struggled with himself, “Kup-” Thick tears welled up and streamed down Kup’s cheeks and Ratchet brushed them away as quickly as he could.

“Won’t hatch.”

“I know.” Tear after tear Ratchet brushed them away until finally Kup took a breath and regained himself. “It’s alright.”

Slowly sitting himself up and rolling onto his beck, Kup let his head come to rest again in Ratchet’s lap. His eyes were slightly puffy and his cheeks still harbored a light tinge of red from all the work, but he was calm.

Above the sky had finally grown dark enough that the slight indication of stars could be seen. He watched a few of them flickered until something obscured his vision.

Long strands of orange and gray hair touched his cheeks, and his eyes focused on a familiar face, Ratchet’s face.

Two warm hands cupped the mer’s cheeks, rubbing back and forth slowly before two thumbs rubbed at his jagged cheekbones. Soft lips pressed themselves against his slightly damp forehead and finally he smiled up at Ratchet.

“Are you okay?” Ratchet asked as Kup suddenly sat up and rolled back onto his front and took his usual position. It shouldn’t have surprised Ratchet that Kup could recover physically from laying a clutch when it was just part of his biology. His swollen form would start to revert to normal within hours, like as if he had never had a clutch in the first place.

“Yes.” It hadn’t been very convincing, especially when Kup turned towards the hole he made and grimaced.

Inside the hole sat three perfectly shaped eggs, all about a little bigger than a soft ball. They were a beautiful pear color and seemed to even glint when the light hit them just right. Despite being duds, they were beautiful.

Kup’s sad look hadn’t lasted long as his attention was quickly shifted towards the pile of sand he had excavated earlier. With both hands, Kup pushed the sand into the hole and began the final process.

As he worked, Ratchet moved beside him, taking some of the sand into his own hands and pushing it into the hole to help. One pile after another, they eventually patted down the sand and sat back.

Another dark spot of disturbed sand had been added to the beach but unlike all the others, Kup finally hadn’t done it alone. Two different hand prints were embedded in the sand this time, and it let Kup feeling at peace for the first time.

“Ready to head home?” Ratchet asked as he stood up and brushed the sand from his knees.

“Yes.” Dragging himself by Ratchet’s side, Kup looked up at him and gave him a small smile.  A genuine smile.

Placing his hand on Kup’s shoulder and squeezing, they began their trek back to the little shack they called home.


End file.
